PRESS STATEMENT BY THE OPPOSITION ALLIANCE IN ZAMBIA

PRESS STATEMENT BY THE OPPOSITION ALLIANCE IN ZAMBIA
WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014
HELD AT THE MMD SECRETARIAT IN LUSAKA

INTRODUCTION

Zambians are suffering because the Patriotic Front has refused to honour many of their election promises. Hence our people find themselves in a situation similar to the wilderness experience of the Hebrews when they left the house of bondage in Egypt as recorded in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. Our people are going through a period of distress and torment. As such, they are looking for hope, for good news.

THE OPPOSITION ALLIANCE, A SOURCE OF HOPE
Today the Opposition Alliance brings hope and the kind of good news that Zambians are looking for.
We are about to announce the fruits of the hard work that we have been doing to create a formidable opposition alliance that would provide effective checks and balances to the PF government as well as offer a credible leadership alternative come 2016 and beyond. We are also going to announce the new partner in the Opposition Alliance.
These announcements represent a monumental development in the life of the Opposition Alliance and provide an insight on the bright future ahead of our alliance.

TECHNICAL COMMITTEE
When the birth of the Opposition Alliance was announced on January 24, 2014 we made it clear that we were going to set up a Technical Committee that would be responsible for preparing documents such as a common manifesto, a modality for electing the presidential candidate for 2016 and other documents. The Technical Committee was also going to serve as a think tank.
Therefore, it is my rare honour and privilege to announce on behalf of the partners in the Opposition Alliance that the Technical Committee will comprise the Secretary Generals of the partners in the alliance and a few carefully selected members from a cross-section of society. The terms of reference are already in place.

NEW MEMBER/PARTNER
It is now my rare joy to make a formal announcement that the Opposition Alliance has grown with the coming on board of All People’s Congress (APC) party whose president is Mr Nason Msoni.
It is not for me to say why APC has decided to join the alliance. They will speak for themselves. I am happy to announce that more partners are coming.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, let me reiterate the position of the alliance on admitting new members. The alliance is open to serious minded opposition political parties. Against this background, let me make it clear that those who will join the alliance later will not be considered as second class members but equal partners.